Used by Fire Brigades around the world the Chester Step Test Kit has a number of advantages. Minimal equipment is required and the test can be conducted in any environment due to this. It’s also designed to be flexible in assessing people with a wide range of absolute aerobic fitness levels by having adjustable step heights.

Description

The ‘Chester Step Test’ height ranges between 0.15 to 0.30 metres depending on the person being assessed – there is standardised criteria for choosing a step height based on the age and physical activity history of the person doing the test.

The step rate begins at 15 steps per minute and every 2 minutes the tempo increases by 5 steps per minute.

The Chester Step Test is used a number of services as a tool for measuring a potential candidate’s ability for the job prior to entry at the medical stage:

UK Police Forces (both police officer selection and PCSO)

The British Fire Service for firefighter selection

The British Army for regular soldiers and officers

The Royal Marines

The Prison Service for assessing entry for prison officers

Chester Step Test Fire Service Procedure

If you are doing your step test as part of your medical examination or for any other part of your recruitment process for the fire and rescue service, then this will generally be the procedure that you will go through:

Both your maximum heart rate (220 – Age) and your 80% of maximum heart rate. These values will be entered in the appropriate box on the Chester Step Test Record sheet and two horizontal lines will be drawn on the graph to represent these values

A heart rate monitor will be attached to you, and you will be told what will be required of you during the test, followed by a brief demonstration of the initial stepping rate (15 steps /min)

When the CD is turned on you will be encouraged to commence stepping at the appropriate stepping rate, and will continue to step for the next 2 minutes

After the first 2 minutes of stepping (stage 1) your heart rate will be recorded during the last few seconds of stepping. (You may also be asked to indicate your rating of perceived exertion (RPE) from a chart numbered 6 to 20, low scores being very, very light exertion and high scores being very, very hard exertion

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